Self care week – how do you self care?

For many they regularly self-care – going to the gym, eating well, sleeping well, maybe an odd treat to the spa, a little massage, etc. This is probably quite similar to how my life was before I had kids. Now I struggle to get the time to self-care. And when I do get the time to self-care, I often waste it doing ‘things’.

However, what can be self care to one person can be something completely different to someone else. For me, self-care is about relaxing. The times I often am most relaxed are with the kids outdoors, on the beach, in rivers, in woods, just playing. I love being in the outdoors, regardless of weather. I’m not hugely fit, so not necessarily up for huge long mountain trails or running, but time spent playing outside in fresh air, with kids who love digging, berry picking, splashing and being happy (although often very dirty or soaked) is actually one of the things I enjoy the most. This year we spent a glorious few days on the Isle of Arran. My favourite moment in the whole time was watching the kids rock hop in the river. We sat there whilst they splashed, got soaked, and we all relaxed together. It was October and wasn’t exactly warm so we snuggled under jackets and just took in the views, fresh air and relaxed. For me, this is one of the things that makes me relax and distracts me from all that’s going on.

Since being diagnosed with PND when my youngest was 9 months old (he is now 3), I have really struggled with sleep. I have never struggled getting to sleep but staying asleep is an issue. Whilst I would say I am very well now mentally, I still have issues with sleep. This week through self-care week, I discovered Sleep Apps on my phone – these seem to be quite effective. I’m using one called ‘Deep Sleep’ and also using another meditation App called ‘Headspace’. It’s still early days but I do think there’s possibly something in both of these and am hopeful I can start to rectify some of my own sleep issues.

So in self-care week, take some time out to think about some issue which you are struggling with and see how you can solve it whether through getting time, apps, going for a walk, maybe cooking a bit better or just whatever it is that suits you.